General Thanks for this forum

[JMTK]

Greetings from Spain.

I bought a 4x4 Climbing 2011 back in Feb and it's been a great little car albeight with a few idiosyncrancies (sp?).

Well on my way to church last Sunday I lost the power steering crosing a roundabout, 1st time this has happened, oh what to do now, this is peak summer traffic time on the one way road into Javea. Anyway called my husband at home who organised the tow truck for me.

Started checking the forum here for solutions and kept seeing the message - start with the battery plus someone mentioned putting in a larger one and even Bosch. So my husband rang the garage to do this and what a difference, it's like a different car, more grounded is the only way I can describe it, so much better, love driving the Panda. Even the cds are going in and coming out of the player as they should!

So many thanks again for all the information, just invaluable especially for us living abroad.

 

[DaveMcT]

The car has electric power steering and needs a strong battery. Hot climates dry the battery cells and they fail.

However, you can drive it without power steering you just need to work hard on the steering wheel. When the car is moving it needs much less effort. Above 50kph (30mph) there is no power assistance.

 

[rmjbn1]

Above 50kph (30mph) there is no power assistance.

Interesting. I was trying to find out about this recently. Does this apply to all 169 Pandas, or just specific models?

 

[DaveMcT]

Interesting. I was trying to find out about this recently. Does this apply to all 169 Pandas, or just specific models?

All 169s with power steering are like this. I believe all Fiat cars with electric power steering are like this. The Punto Mk2/2a had the same system as does the 500 and Fiat built Ford Ka.

My wife's 169 Panda had a steering problem due to weak alternator. In cold weather there would be no power steering for about a mile. It was hard work getting out of the drive but after that no problem. At normal speeds you could hardly tell and above 30mph exactly the same as any other Panda.

A new alternator was fitted (very fiddly job on a car with air conditioning) and all is well again.